In photos: AfrikaBurn 2014

Crazy desert landscapes, open skies, spreading sunsets, exuberant, expressive people following their own creative happiness and of course, fire: this is AfrikaBurn 2014 in photos.

I have used the word ‘beautiful’ to describe the past few days more times than is probably healthy. Yet that is exactly what this experience (note, I’m not using the word ‘event’) was; crazy, desert landscapes with open skies and spreading sunsets, exuberant, expressive people following their own creative happiness and of course, fire. There is something transfixing, primeval about fire, feeling the heat on your face as you watch embers swirl into the sky and flames lick the ground.

As a first-time burner I had a few ideas of what to expect. These were all surpassed, leaving me with the desire to not only return next year, but to incorporate some of what I saw and learnt into my every day life. Seeing people be exactly who (or what) they wish to be is inspiring and lifts the soul. Walking through Binnekring in the mornings you’d find new structures and interactive creations, sprung up seemingly overnight. Everything is driven and organised by the people who attend (aka you and the person next to you), which differs from an event where you know what is happening, where and what time. You’re guaranteed to miss out on some things while at AfrikaBurn, but going with your own flow leads you on to find places and people you otherwise wouldn’t have.

Of course it’s not all tinted in rosy-glow; some serious camping and roughing-it is involved. The famous ‘loos with a view’ became places of horror within a day or two and a dust storm blew in on the Sunday, stinging our eyes with grit and coating everything with dust. Definitely not ideal tent-packing conditions! However these memories form an inextricable character backbone; one that you look back on with a laugh.